The present invention relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic device holders.
Portable telecommunications devices, such as radiotelephones (e.g., cellular telephones), have become increasingly popular for both personal and commercial use. With their increase in popularity, radiotelephones have also been undergoing miniaturization to facilitate storage and portability. Indeed, some contemporary radiotelephone models are only 9-12 centimeters in length. Other electronic devices such as pagers are also undergoing miniaturization. Pagers are compact radio receivers, typically incorporating a display panel, that may be carried by a person, to receive and display short radio messages directed to that pager.
Portable radiotelephones are frequently placed in a holder, often referred to as a cradle, when used in a vehicle. These cradles allow radiotelephones to be connected to speakerphones, vehicle power supplies, externally mounted antennas, and auxiliary transmitters. Holsters for attaching electronic devices such as pagers to a person""s clothing are also becoming popular.
Unfortunately, the display panel of a radiotelephone mounted within a vehicle cradle may be difficult for a vehicle operator to view because of the distance from the operator to the cradle. This problem can be compounded by the miniaturization of radiotelephones and the correspondingly decreasing size of display panels. Similarly, the display panel of a pager within a holster attached to a person may be difficult to read because of the distance from the person""s eye to the holster.
Magnification devices attached directly to radiotelephones are known. For example, German Patent No. DE-2003827 to Dafcik et al. describes a convex protective cover that overlies an LCD display of a mobile phone to achieve a lens effect. Japan Patent No. JP-0094273 describes a convex shaped transparent display cover that overlies a portable telephone display. Japan Patent No. JP-0055944 describes a lens group mounted on top of an LCD module. Unfortunately, these magnification devices are attached directly to a portable telephone. As a result, magnification of a portable telephone display may occur even when the portable telephone is in a user""s hand. Magnification of a portable telephone display at a close distance may be unnecessary and may be distracting to a user.
Techniques for enlarging characters displayed within a mobile telephone display when the mobile telephone is mounted within a vehicle adapter are also known. For example, Japan Patent No. JP-0091454 describes electronic circuitry that detects when a mobile telephone is connected to a vehicular adapter and electronically enlarges displayed characters for easier reading. Unfortunately, the addition of character enlarging circuitry can increase the complexity of electronic devices such as mobile telephones and can increase manufacturing costs. Furthermore, less information can be displayed within a given display area when characters are enlarged within the display.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate viewing of an electronic device display panel when the electronic device is mounted within a holster or vehicle cradle.
It is another object of the present invention to facilitate reduction in costs associated with electronic device manufacturing.
These and other objects of the present invention can be provided by a vehicle cradle for supporting a portable electronic device, such as a radiotelephone, that includes an optical element that is configured to overlie and magnify the display panel of the electronic device supported within the cradle. The optical element may be a lens having one or more convex or concave elements.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an elongate, adjustably bendable arm is secured to a vehicle cradle. An optical element is secured to a distal end of the arm and is configured to magnify the display panel of an electronic device disposed within the cradle. The arm preferably has a gooseneck shaft that is configured to allow the optical element to be maneuvered to any of a plurality of positions relative to the cradle.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a holster for a portable electronic device, such as a pager, includes an optical element that is configured to magnify the display panel of an electronic device within the holster.
Vehicle cradles and holsters incorporating an optical element according to the present invention can facilitate easier viewing of a display panel of an electronic device. As such, user interaction with portable electronic devices such as radiotelephones and pagers can be enhanced. Furthermore, user interaction can be enhanced without increasing manufacturing costs of electronic devices.